Cremșnit cu lămâie, Romanian lemon custard slice

Name: Cremșnit cu lămâie, Romanian lemon custard slice
Ingredients: 1 kg homemade puff pastry; 1 l milk; 6 eggs; 250 g sugar; 6 tablespoons flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 125 g butter; 1 l milk; 6 eggs; 300 g sugar; 6 tablespoons flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 125 g butter; 2 lemons; 20 g vanilla powdered sugar

Dessert - Cremșnit cu lămâie, Romanian lemon custard slice by Jana A. - Recipia

Cremșnit cu lămâie is a Romanian pastry made with four sheets of puff pastry layered with vanilla custard and lemon cream, made with lemon zest and juice. After a few hours in the fridge, the pastry softens and the middle stays tender, with a fresh lemon flavor. I serve it cold and enjoy the lemon cream between the pastry sheets most of all. Prep: 45 minutes. Cook: 84 minutes. Rest: 6 hours. Total time: 8 hours and 9 minutes. Servings: 16. Approximately 730 kcal and 13 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the pastry sheets

1 kg homemade puff pastry

For the vanilla custard

1 l milk
6 eggs
250 g sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125 g butter

For the lemon cream

1 l milk
6 eggs
300 g sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125 g butter
2 lemons

For decorating

20 g vanilla powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Divide 1 kg of puff pastry into 4 pieces and roll each one out to the size of the oven tray. Bake them one at a time for 15 minutes, until golden, then leave to cool. 2. For the vanilla custard, put 900 ml of milk and the vanilla extract in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, until it starts to steam. Mix the eggs with the sugar and flour, then gradually whisk in 100 ml of cold milk. Slowly pour the mixture into the hot milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Simmer over low heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter. 3. Make the lemon cream in the same way, using the remaining 900 ml of milk, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla extract. Simmer the cream over low heat for 6-7 minutes, until thickened, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice and grated lemon zest. 4. Once the pastry sheets and creams have cooled, layer them, starting with the vanilla custard and continuing with the lemon cream. Finish with a sheet of puff pastry and dust with vanilla powdered sugar. 5. Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours before cutting.

Notes

The creams can be made a day ahead, and the cake keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve it with a black coffee or unsweetened tea. Thicker pastry sheets may need a few extra minutes in the oven; look for them to be golden around the edges too. When zesting the lemons, grate only the yellow part of the peel, as the white part can make the cream bitter. Puff pastry and flour contain gluten, and the creams contain milk, butter and eggs.

Frequently asked questions

Why can lemon cream turn bitter?

The white part beneath the yellow peel is bitter; grate only the colored layer of the lemon.

How do I prevent lumps in the cream?

Before pouring the egg mixture into the hot milk, whisk it until no dry pockets of flour remain. If lumps do form, pass the cream through a fine sieve before adding the butter.

Can I replace the flour with starch?

Yes. Use 3 tablespoons of starch for each cream, and dissolve it in the 100 ml of cold milk before pouring it into the saucepan.

Can I use store-bought puff pastry?

Yes, use 1 kg of plain puff pastry, fully thawed before rolling it out and cutting it into four sheets.